A common problem with RCA coaxial cable connectors is that they do not stay tight on the ports they are connected to. Especially in vertical installations, the weight of the coaxial cable is great enough to loosen or pull the connector off the port. An RCA coaxial cable connector was devised that included a locking feature to prevent the RCA connector from pulling loose from the port. However, the RCA connector still needs to be locked properly upon installation for the locking feature to work properly. Determining whether the RCA connector is properly installed is not always easy to do when installing the RCA connector onto the equipment port.
With CATV (cable television) technology, it is extremely important to ensure that all connections are tight in order to prevent unwanted interference from getting into the transmission path. For bidirectional systems, it has been estimated that 70%-95% of the unwanted RF interference on the return path, from the subscriber to the headend, originates within the subscriber's premises or home. Because all the return signals funnel back into the headend, a single source of unwanted RF interference (RFI), also known as “ingress”, affects the service of all the subscribers. The RFI enters the system from improperly installed F-connectors, cracked or improperly shielded coaxial cable, or simply bad shielding around a television set's tuner. Improper installation includes the failure to tighten fully the connector into an equipment port, thus causing signal leakage and intermittent grounding.
Cable operators are spending enormous amounts of money and resources to maintain the headend plant free from the RFI caused by loose and improper connections. New digital products such as VOIP (voice over internet protocol) are extremely sensitive to RFI ingress. Small levels of ingress can disrupt voice service or cause dropped calls.